WOMEN'S COLLEGE TENNIS: Permian graduate Lucero enjoying success at Coe College
Tai Lucero took a major plunge two years ago when she decided
to attend Coe College, a private NCAA Division III school located in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The Permian High School graduate has been swimming in the deep end with ease, even on a campus located more than 1,000 miles from home.
Lucero recently completed her sophomore season for the Kohawks women’s tennis program, helping lead it to the NCAA Division III Championships for only the third time.
As thankful as Coe tennis coach Eric Rodgers is for what Lucero has done for his team, he said that’s just a portion of her story.
“I think her contributions to Coe College go far, far beyond the classroom and tennis courts,” Rodgers said. “She gets 30 hours a day out of a 24-hour period. She’s just real, real active in many ways and an asset to the entire college. She’s really getting a lot out of the college experience.”
Rodgers said Lucero is a Zumba instructor at Coe and is active in her sorority and a number of student activities.
Sounds a lot like the Tai Lucero who was a four-year standout for Permian’s tennis program and reached the Class 5A state tournament in girls doubles along with Charlotte Dawson in 2009 — all while graduating in 2010 as Permian’s salutatorian.
Tennis certainly is part of Lucero’s balancing act at Coe College, too. The biology major recently was named to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 First Team for carrying a 3.90 grade point average.
She’s also managing to play some pretty good tennis as the No. 2 singles player and as part of a record-breaking No. 1 doubles team along with junior Michelle Schupbach.
“I knew I wanted to play in college because I wanted to see if I could improve even more,” Lucero said. “The coaches along with the staff definitely have molded me into a better player. I’ve definitely been more dedicated on the court and more dedicated to fitness. I wanted to further expose my game to see how much better it could get.”
Lucero and Coe College found each other through an online recruiting service.
Rodgers, who recently completed his 23rd season as the program’s head coach, made contact with Lucero and she said she “fell in love” with the school during a recruiting visit her senior year at Permian.
She made an impact as a freshman and then continued to build as a sophomore, going 26-2 in singles and 29-3 with Schupbach in doubles. Their victory total set a single-season women’s doubles record for Coe.
Lucero said playing at a high level for Permian against statewide Class 5A powers helped prepare her for competing at the college level, and she came through during a memorable season for the Kohawks.
They beat Luther College (Iowa) 5-1 on April 28 to win the Iowa Conference Automatic Qualifier and earn the NCAA berth.
“We wanted so badly to get to that NCAA round because none of us had ever gone,” Lucero said. “We just put our entire season into that.”
Coe College opened the NCAAs with a 5-4 victory against Hope (Mich.), with Lucero winning both of her matches, before falling 5-0 to Carnegie-Mellon (Pa.) in the second round. Carnegie-Mellon went on to win two more matches and reach the national quarterfinals.
Rodgers said Lucero has become a more assertive player during her time in the program and that he thinks she’ll continue to help lead during her final two seasons with the Kohawks.
“I’ve found over the years that kids that will travel far away for school, they’re usually very independent and self-confident, and that easily describes Tai,” Rodgers said. “At first she was a little homesick, of course, but she settled right into the college and I can’t imagine her not being here.”
>> Follow Chris Gove on Twitter at @OAChrisGove
The Permian High School graduate has been swimming in the deep end with ease, even on a campus located more than 1,000 miles from home.
Lucero recently completed her sophomore season for the Kohawks women’s tennis program, helping lead it to the NCAA Division III Championships for only the third time.
As thankful as Coe tennis coach Eric Rodgers is for what Lucero has done for his team, he said that’s just a portion of her story.
“I think her contributions to Coe College go far, far beyond the classroom and tennis courts,” Rodgers said. “She gets 30 hours a day out of a 24-hour period. She’s just real, real active in many ways and an asset to the entire college. She’s really getting a lot out of the college experience.”
Rodgers said Lucero is a Zumba instructor at Coe and is active in her sorority and a number of student activities.
Sounds a lot like the Tai Lucero who was a four-year standout for Permian’s tennis program and reached the Class 5A state tournament in girls doubles along with Charlotte Dawson in 2009 — all while graduating in 2010 as Permian’s salutatorian.
Tennis certainly is part of Lucero’s balancing act at Coe College, too. The biology major recently was named to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 First Team for carrying a 3.90 grade point average.
She’s also managing to play some pretty good tennis as the No. 2 singles player and as part of a record-breaking No. 1 doubles team along with junior Michelle Schupbach.
“I knew I wanted to play in college because I wanted to see if I could improve even more,” Lucero said. “The coaches along with the staff definitely have molded me into a better player. I’ve definitely been more dedicated on the court and more dedicated to fitness. I wanted to further expose my game to see how much better it could get.”
Lucero and Coe College found each other through an online recruiting service.
Rodgers, who recently completed his 23rd season as the program’s head coach, made contact with Lucero and she said she “fell in love” with the school during a recruiting visit her senior year at Permian.
She made an impact as a freshman and then continued to build as a sophomore, going 26-2 in singles and 29-3 with Schupbach in doubles. Their victory total set a single-season women’s doubles record for Coe.
Lucero said playing at a high level for Permian against statewide Class 5A powers helped prepare her for competing at the college level, and she came through during a memorable season for the Kohawks.
They beat Luther College (Iowa) 5-1 on April 28 to win the Iowa Conference Automatic Qualifier and earn the NCAA berth.
“We wanted so badly to get to that NCAA round because none of us had ever gone,” Lucero said. “We just put our entire season into that.”
Coe College opened the NCAAs with a 5-4 victory against Hope (Mich.), with Lucero winning both of her matches, before falling 5-0 to Carnegie-Mellon (Pa.) in the second round. Carnegie-Mellon went on to win two more matches and reach the national quarterfinals.
Rodgers said Lucero has become a more assertive player during her time in the program and that he thinks she’ll continue to help lead during her final two seasons with the Kohawks.
“I’ve found over the years that kids that will travel far away for school, they’re usually very independent and self-confident, and that easily describes Tai,” Rodgers said. “At first she was a little homesick, of course, but she settled right into the college and I can’t imagine her not being here.”
>> Follow Chris Gove on Twitter at @OAChrisGove
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